


Gone

by ScotlandEvander



Series: Over the Rainbow [21]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Break Up, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-06
Updated: 2013-07-06
Packaged: 2017-12-17 20:17:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/871545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScotlandEvander/pseuds/ScotlandEvander
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He wasn’t surprised when he reached his first class to find Atlanta not there. Nor was he all that surprised when Regulus spent the day frantically searching for her, but avoided the Gryffindors. One dark look from his brother at dinner informed Regulus where Atlanta was currently hiding. And no one was going to let Regulus in. Sirius watched his brother’s usual pureblood facade crumble. Right at the Slytherin table during dinner. Regulus gave up, his head falling right into the golden plate in front of him. Sirius stood up and left, not wanting to watch his brother’s heart crumble knowing he’d lost the girl he loved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gone

**Disclaimer: If you know it, I don’t own it.**

* * *

“There is a girl in Moony’s bed.”

This statement was bizarre for a wide array of reasons. One, there had never been a girl in Remus’ bed in the past seven years. Two, besides a few casual friendships with girls, none of the others Marauders had seen Remus in the company of a girl on a regular basis other than Lily Evans and Atlanta Black (both whom had boyfriends). Three, currently Remus was in the Shirking Shack, waiting for Madam Pomfrey to show up and heal him from last night’s transformation. Four, Remus was dating Sirius, who was not a girl. Five, the girl in Moony’s bed was Sirius’ brother’s girlfriend, who shouldn’t be curled up in Moony’s bed. 

“I forgot it was the full moon,” Atlanta said, staring at the three boys, who were gaping at her. 

She rubbed her eyes for a moment before Sirius realized it was not sleep she was wiping away but tears. They dumped out of her eyes and fell down her face in tiny rivers. 

“Gargh,” Peter said eloquently. “She’s even beautiful with tears streaming down her face.”

James open and closed his mouth a few times. Sirius could tell James shared Peter’s observations, but for the first time James Potter wasn’t going to voice his opinion. More than likely because Lily Evans would hear and later hex him into oblivion. While normally James not voicing in opinion required lots of mocking by Sirius, currently he was hung up on what had happened to Atlanta. This was very abnormal behavior for the girl. She knew the moon cycle as well as Remus and something must have distracted her for her to forget they’d all be breaking into the Shirking Shake instead of in their room.   

“Siri,” Atlanta croaked, her voice hitching at the last syllable. 

That name was all he needed to spring into action. 

His childhood nickname he only allowed Remus call him occasionally, the nickname that Regulus used when he slipped up and forgot to be angry. 

All it took was that one word and Sirius knew. 

He knew why tears were streaming down her face like waterfalls. He knew why she was in Remus’s bed and why she had forgotten it was the full moon the night before. Sirius knew why she wasn’t sobbing or having a fit like most girls did when they cried. 

With one word, he allowed the fierce need to protect and comfort her take over him. He had felt it from the moment she’d dropped down in front of him over a year ago, but after really paying attention, he noticed she did not need protecting. She did not need comfort. She was a one woman army, protecting and comforting those around her. 

But, not at the moment.   

In that one word, he understood. He comprehended why he wanted to protect her, why he’d been weary of her getting close to his brother, why he enjoyed her company and why he was about to do what to do. 

She was his family. He didn’t understand the connection, but she was his family. In a vastly different sense than the Marauders or even Regulus. There was some truth in whatever crazy ramblings she’d said had said when she arrived. While she later claimed insanity, Sirius knew she had been speaking the truth that night.

She knew him. She knew Remus. Very well. 

The three of them somehow made up a family. 

He had to protect her, care for her and console her. It was his job at the moment because Remus was indisposed. 

Sirius knew exactly what had happened while he’d been running around with his werewolf. 

He knew and it broke his heart for a whole different reason than it broke Atlanta’s heart. 

In a few short steps Sirius was across the room, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her towards him. She buried her face into his chest, pulling fists full of shirt into her hands. 

“I know, I know. You don’t have to say it,” he whispered into her hair. 

Rubbing slow circles on her back, he felt her slowly loosen her grip on his shirt. She shook her head back and forth. He felt her tremors as she attempted to get words out. 

“He’s gone. Gone,” she cried hoarsely into his chest. “I didn’t save him….he’s gone.”

Sirius clutched her tightly. He felt her tighten her grip on his shirt, pulling him closer to her.

“It hurts.”

“I know, honey. I know,” Sirius said, failing to notice what he’d called her. He felt her curl into herself, almost crawling into his lap like a child would. Only she didn’t quite make it and simply let out a muffled wail of a sob. 

Behind him, Sirius heard Peter and James get into bed. Sirius wasn’t sure how long he sat holding Atlanta till she fell into an exhausted sleep in his arms. He lay her back and crawled into the bed next to her, watching her tear stained face. He watched her till the sun fully rose and he heard the noise of the rest of the tower waking. He heard James stir after a while, Peter shortly after. 

“Padfoot, mate?”

“I’m awake,” Sirius said, carefully extracting himself. He turned and noticed James’ face. “I’ll explain outside.”

Sirius grabbed his school robes and quickly changed. He dragged his toothbrush through his mouth, feeling his sleepless night in every limb. Shaking his head, he met James and Peter outside the dormitory door. They both looked grave. While Sirius was sure Peter had no clue what had happened, by the dark look on James’ face, Sirius was sure James understood. Sirius was glad, as he knew he couldn’t put it into words what had caused Atlanta to break apart in front of them. 

“They had a fight,” Sirius started. “I’m pretty sure they’re done.”

“Who? Atlanta and Regulus?” Peter asked, looking confused.

James sent Peter a look. 

“What did they fight about?”

Sirius stared at James. James, being Sirius’s best friend, read Sirius’ face with ease and nodded. Peter continued to look befuddled. James placed a hand over his forearm on his left side. Sirius nodded.  

“I’m going to go meet Lily.” 

James turned, leaving Sirius alone with Peter.

“They broke up from one fight?”

“Pete, it was a big fight. Very big. My brother made a very poor, but not all that surprising choice.”

“Oh,” Pete squeaked, slapping his chubby hand over his mouth. He looked at where James had gone and mimicked the motion James had done. His watery eyes went large and he put his hand back over his mouth and gave off a muffled, “Oh.” 

Sirius nodded, starting down the stairs to the common room. 

He wasn’t surprised when he reached his first class to find Atlanta not there. Nor was he all that surprised when Regulus spent the day frantically searching for her, but avoided the Gryffindors. One dark look from his brother at dinner informed Regulus where Atlanta was currently hiding. And no one was going to let Regulus in. Sirius watched his brother’s usual pureblood facade crumble. Right at the Slytherin table during dinner. Regulus gave up, his head falling right into the golden plate in front of him. Sirius stood up and left, not wanting to watch his brother’s heart crumble knowing he’d lost the girl he loved. 

Sirius couldn’t imagine if Remus did something like that what he’d do. He wasn’t sure if he’d be strong enough to leave.

Sirius knew Atlanta was done with Regulus, hence the waterworks in Moony’s bed. 

“Can I see her?” Lily asked after dinner when she found Sirius brooding in front of the fire. “Remus might want his bed back.”

Sirius glanced up. “He can share mine.”

“Your bed is gross,” Lily reminded him, folding her arms across her chest. “You eat in your bed and who knows what else. There’s a reason she chose Remus’ bed over the others. It was the only one clean.”

“I resent that,” James quipped.

“Me too,” Peter agreed.

“It’s true,” Lily grumbled. “Well, mind if I go up and try to pry her out?”

“No. You’re right. Moony will be back soon and he won’t take kindly to my bed.”

James and Peter exchanged looks, but Lily turned and stalked off towards the boy’s staircase. Sirius threw a pillow at James.

“If you changed your sheets,” James began, but was cut off by a dark look from Sirius. 

“My bed is not gross.”

“You do gross things in your bed, mate.”

“So do you,” Sirius snapped.

“He does them alone,” Peter muttered, slowly turning red as a pillow flew at his head. 

The boys fell silent. Sirius glanced at the doorway to the boy’s tower. Fifteen minutes after staring at the entrance, Lily appeared. She was alone. She vanished up the girl’s stairs and returned a short while later with a pile of clothing and what looked like a basket of something. She climbed the boys stairs once again and was gone for a full hour before she emerged with Atlanta. Her hair was soaking wet and her face looked like it’s been scrubbed within an inch of the outer layer of skim, making the usually creamy skin rather red faced. Atlanta walked towards the fireplace where the group was seated as if it pained her to be walking. 

Atlanta had looked rather worn and tired since the start of term, but she looked about five times worse than Moony the day after a rough moon tonight. Lily lead her over to the couch and placed the zombie like Atlanta next to Sirius. Sirius reached over, taking Atlanta’s hand into his. It was freezing cold. He squeezed it and she looked slowly over at him. 

“Maybe you can’t change time?” Atlanta mused, blankly looking at Sirius with her sage green eyes. They looked dull, lacking their usual mischief and sparkle. 

“I don’t think you’re meant to understand time,” Sirius offered. “Also, isn’t your theory you’re from another universe.”

“Yes.”

For the first time since she’d arrived, when Sirius had brought up something she’d said that first night, she didn’t pretended it was the so called Altitude Sickness. He had never admitted to spying on her and Regulus in that strange room on the seventh floor and overhearing that she strongly believed in everything she had said that first night and was lying, as Sirius had suspected, when she blamed it on Altitude Sickness. 

He had thought long and hard, watched carefully and decided that Atlanta might be insane, but for Regulus, who tragically was in his right mind, to believe her, there had to be some sort of truth to what she spouted off. 

And she had been right about him and Remus. 

“Well, maybe you have no control over the course of time this is how things just work here?” Sirius suggested. 

Atlanta stared at him for a moment, before sinking into his side. She smelled a lot like a bizarre combination of Remus and Lily, which Sirius found disturbing. Sirius ignored the fact she was soaking the side of his robes with her wet hair. Instead, he put an arm around her and pulled her closer. 

“There are times…I think I’m wrong. I’ve been here for over a year,” she said quietly. “I’m not dead. I’m still effecting events, yet they keep happening in the same way before. Why do things keep happening the same, yet different?”

“What are you talking about?” James finally asked.

“She’s crazy, remember?” Peter reminded the group.

Lily scoffed. Lily did not share the group’s reasoning that Atlanta was slightly insane. Since Atlanta begun to hang around more after…The Incident We Shall Not Speak of Again, she was forever letting little random things slip up, she always seemed to _know_ thinks she should not. Lily thought Atlanta was some sort of Seer. James and Peter reasoned she was mental. Remus and Sirius both felt she was perfectly sane, especially after Sirius shared his conclusions drawn after his incident of spying last spring. Together with what Remus observed about her, they knew she was a little odd, but she spoke the truth.  

The group stared at Atlanta, waiting for her comeback.  

Usually when accused of being crazy, Atlanta laughed and offered up something rather insane sounding, yet totally understandable. This time, she blankly stared at the fire. She sighed deeply and melted further into Sirius. 

“I miss my dad,” she said quietly. “He always knew what to do.”

“Sorry.”

“You suck at this,” she informed him.

“I’m a guy.”

“So was my dad.”

“Well, I’m not a dad. I think you get special wisdom when you’re a parent,” Sirius suggested.

“No. You just get old and know,” she muttered. “I hate those two girls I bunk with in Ravenclaw. They are such gossips. I couldn’t stand their chattering last night.”

“How did you even get in there?” James asked, who always hated when other people who weren’t in Gryffindor got into the tower. Unless he brought them. 

“I’m wily,” Atlanta offered. “I’m hungry. Can I get the map to get to the kitchens?”

“How about I just take you? Head Girl,” Lily offered. From the soft look Lily was giving Atlanta, Sirius knew that Lily wanted to get Atlanta to spill the whole story. Sirius figured Atlanta would refuse knowing Lily would pry, but she pushed herself off Sirius and nodded. 

“Think she’ll talk?” James asked as he watched Lily and Atlanta leave.

“Yeah,” Sirius admitted. “She didn’t talk to me because she didn’t need to. I know. I don’t need the details, nor do I really want them.”

Sirius knew both Peter and James were giving him looks of pity, or something along those lines. Mumbling about bed, Sirius stood up and went to the dormitory. He sat back down on Remus’s bed and stared at the floor. When he couldn’t hold back any longer, he buried his face in his hands and allowed himself to cry for his little brother, the lost boy who allowed people to push him around and follow stupid inbred beliefs. 


End file.
